The Boston College that Arnie Sookram ’91 attended in the late ’80s was vastly different from today’s University. Back then, students of African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American descent (AHANA) accounted for less than 10 percent of the population.

Three decades later, 42 percent of BC’s Class of 2025 are AHANA, 11 percent are first-generation, and 7 percent come from outside the United States. 

Now a vice president of the alumni board and a founding member of the AHANA Alumni Advisory Council, Sookram is inspired by the leadership of Joy Moore and Leah DeCosta Spencer as well as a number of student organizations. He uses this platform to leverage his passion for justice toward “strengthen[ing] that fabric BC has with its alumni of color,” mentoring AHANA alumni in their careers, and encouraging the University to lead on the issues of the day.

“When I moved out [to Seattle] almost 20 years ago, the Alumni Association was a great way to connect with people who had a common history. What resonates now is that feeling when you sit in a room of BC grads—there’s something unique about the people and values in that space, how they think about caring for others, servant leadership, social justice.”

“I believe in the people at BC—students and leadership alike—who ache for change,” says Sookram. He sees BC as a leader in the fight for social justice and equity and is confident the University will remain true to its founding mission and continue driving meaningful change, locally and globally.     

 

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